Cole Hamels vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Cole Hamels has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cole Hamels played 2006–2020 as a pitcher; Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Cole Hamels (2006–2020) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — both debuted in the 2000s. Cole Hamels finished with 163 wins and 2,560 strikeouts; Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Cole Hamels, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Cole Hamels, with 163 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cole Hamels, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- How many innings did each pitch? Cole Hamels 2,698.0, Cliff Lee 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Cole Hamels's 7.
Cole Hamels
Cliff Lee
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cole Hamels | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 122 | 91 |
| Games not scored | 423 | 328 |
| Games Started not scored | 422 | 324 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 29 |
| Shutouts | 7 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,560 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 767 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,424 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 310 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,698.0 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.43 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.54 | 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 2.56 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee leads Cole Hamels 41,719 to 32,591 — driven by per-season impact — 3,209 PIV per season to 2,173 — rather than by longevity, since Cliff Lee played 13 seasons to Cole Hamels's 15. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Cole Hamels — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cliff Lee — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Cole Hamels leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Cliff Lee leads 3: complete games, shutouts, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cole Hamels. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Cliff Lee higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee careers compare
The careers of Cole Hamels (2006–2020) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) overlapped from 2006 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 423 games for Cole Hamels and 328 for Cliff Lee across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Cliff Lee comes out ahead, it is in complete games (29 to 17), shutouts (12 to 7), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.56). The per-nine rows read 8.54 strikeouts and 2.56 walks for Cole Hamels, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee.
Cole Hamels vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cole Hamels or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cole Hamels leads Cliff Lee in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Cole Hamels, with 163 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cole Hamels, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.